Nikon's D4 Officially Official

[rol11]

here is article about introduction of D4 https://wellsfargoadvisors.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=587442381

[AprilForever]

Exciting! This year sounds like it's going to be exciting!!!

[dr croubie]

Am I alone in finding it a bit suspicious that Nikon magically found a way to jump from their previous highest native ISO of 12800 to this stunning 104k ISO in an "overnight" response to Canon's 1DX and its native 51200 ISO?

There's a quote in pretty much every review on any body I read. The words are different, but the gist is the same, "just because you can, doesn't mean you should use higher ISO". If the D300s had ISO 100k, I'm sure Canon could have made the 7D also have ISO100k if they wanted. Certainly it would have been unusable for anything but 'memories' shots, but it still would have looked good in the specs list...

[wockawocka]

Both the D4 and 1Dx are cameras that over and above deliver what 98% of all photographers need.

What's exciting is that perhaps, you will never need to buy another body again other than to replace a worn out one.
Even more exciting is the prospect that with so little missing from these two cameras the only way forward is a radical change to the way light is captured. You cannot beat the laws of physics, just work with them.

BTW, High ISO is great for scenes with low contrast. If you are shooting a wedding reception with a light above the bride and groom and the rest in the dark you can't just bump the ISO to fix it as it'll serve to blow them out.

[Picsfor]

Am I alone in finding it a bit suspicious that Nikon magically found a way to jump from their previous highest native ISO of 12800 to this stunning 104k ISO in an "overnight" response to Canon's 1DX and its native 51200 ISO? If Nikon announced a D4 with the same ISO as the 1D X for release some 6-8 months from now, I would have a much easier time believing it...but this really smells of fresh fish.

I would also expect competition on all fronts, not just the ISO front. FPS, AF capabilities and performance, etc. It seems a bit odd that Nikon would release competition to the 1DX before they even have a chance to get their hands on one and make sure their next flagship really is competition...

I think you're missing the point a little with this release.

The only real complaint the Nikon lot have with their D3s is the small MP size. Most of the pros only wanted 16, 18 at a push. We have to remember, at this level we are talking about a tool for a job, not something with which to practice a hobby and enjoy creating art.

The torch was not Nikon's to gain, but Canons to try and get back. Realistically, how many people will jump ship from this to the 1DX? Not very many - it will be enough to keep the Nikon pros happy.

As for how relevant is high ISO in the real world? Whose real world are you talking about?
Yours?
Or the press photographer who gets a grainy picture of a paramedic pumping attending Princess Diana in a poorly lit tunnel at 2 or 3 in the morning? Even as a Train Driver, high ISO was an important aspect of 'my real world'.

These cameras are designed to 'get that pic' that pays the rent under almost any condition, and i'm fairly sure that they will both do that - just that on current specs, Canon have regained the flagship pro series mantel from Nikon.

[Noink Fanb0i]

Some reality check I read in another forum RE: "Highest Native ISO":

  Q: So it may be that Nikon (+ Aptiva?) have actually done it again and there's a new step forward in sensor high ISO tech?

A: More likely Nikon's firmware programmers. Changing the higher H ISO's to numbered ones is purely a firmware mod, and can be done at very short notice. Most likely an earlier firmware version had 12800, then Nikon saw Canon had released at 102400 felt that their 102400 was likely to be better than Canon's so any comparison would be in their favour so changed the names from H1 and H2 to 25600 and 51200. It is just a name change, no more.

There is certainly a new step forward in marketing claims. Don't expect the D4 ISO 102K to look like D3s 25K (except possibly in the JPEG output if the in-camera NR algorithms have been improved that much).

In the D3 line, the "H" designations are used when the analog chain is at max gain and the ADC output is numerically scaled to produce the additional boost. This may imply that the analog chain has much more gain capability in the D4, although I can't imagine that would make a significant difference in IQ at those stratospheric levels.

An optimistic scenario would be that a pixel in D4 can contain an equivalent of 64K levels, that is it is full 16 bit. Suppose "base" ISO is 100. ISO 102K means 10 bit shift, that leaves 6 bit useful not counting noise, and maybe about 3 stops of photographically usable DR if noise is taken into account. That makes me doubt 102K ISO is in fact "native" and usable enough for something larger than 5x7 prints. I think 5600 may be closer to "native".

Great marketing, though.

Look at how many people are excited and now expecting to have clean pictures shot in extreme low light, all cause the rumors say "native ISO 102k".

So, in short, people expecting the D4 would be "1-stop better" than the 1Dx at high ISO just because its advertised rumored native High ISO is "1-stop higher" than the earlier announced 1Dx would be in for a grainy & blotchy surprise. 

[Noink Fanb0i]

Anybody can read French? Looks like the earlier rumor was correct, D4's native maximum ISO is a mere 12800 with L: 50 & H4: 204800. And it's apparently a mere 45g lighter than the D3s. 

[Orion]

I think that the article is wrong. They siomply went to print before the correction came in.

btw, higher res images of ther article:

http://photo-cult.com/tests/ReponsesPhoto239-p6.jpg
 http://photo-cult.com/tests/ReponsesPhoto239-p7.jpg
 

[Cannon Man]

The price point could give out that nikon has maby combined the d3s and D3x together as the D4 because the specs are very similar.

[Canon-F1]

here is article about introduction of D4 https://wellsfargoadvisors.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=587442381

i don´t give much credit to ken rockwell.. in fact i don´t like him at all.

but someone pointed out that he wrote on his website that a D4 article that appeared on the web is fake.

i don´t know.. and i don´t really care.... just saying.
 

[Justin]

I was excited for the lower weight, but 45g is pretty small. Really nothing anyone would notice. Maybe Canon will lower their price point further to $5999. That would be about the only thing that jumps out at me given the limited inofrmation available that the Nikon would seem to have that the Canon does not (a more attractive price).

[neuroanatomist]

Here is the actual quote from the leaked praise release:

The unit takes the AF mode select switch from the D7000 and uses improved 51-point AF points with 9 cross-type sensor and a beefed up AF module allowing focus with an f/8 lens and faster (up from f/5.6). The AF detection range is now down to EV-2.0.

If true, that's pretty weak.  The D3 variants all had 15 f/5.6 crosses, not sure why they'd drop it to 9...

[epsiloneri]

So, in short, people expecting the D4 would be "1-stop better" than the 1Dx at high ISO just because its advertised rumored native High ISO is "1-stop higher" than the earlier announced 1Dx would be in for a grainy & blotchy surprise. 

I agree. Advertised ISO range has nothing to do with sensitivity. It's like asking how far your tele lens can shoot (something I'm asked from time to time ).

[neuroanatomist]

It's like asking how far your tele lens can shoot (something I'm asked from time to time

That's easy.  "To infinity...and beyond!"

[jrista]

Am I alone in finding it a bit suspicious that Nikon magically found a way to jump from their previous highest native ISO of 12800 to this stunning 104k ISO in an "overnight" response to Canon's 1DX and its native 51200 ISO? If Nikon announced a D4 with the same ISO as the 1D X for release some 6-8 months from now, I would have a much easier time believing it...but this really smells of fresh fish.

I would also expect competition on all fronts, not just the ISO front. FPS, AF capabilities and performance, etc. It seems a bit odd that Nikon would release competition to the 1DX before they even have a chance to get their hands on one and make sure their next flagship really is competition...

I think you're missing the point a little with this release.

The only real complaint the Nikon lot have with their D3s is the small MP size. Most of the pros only wanted 16, 18 at a push. We have to remember, at this level we are talking about a tool for a job, not something with which to practice a hobby and enjoy creating art.

The torch was not Nikon's to gain, but Canons to try and get back. Realistically, how many people will jump ship from this to the 1DX? Not very many - it will be enough to keep the Nikon pros happy.

As for how relevant is high ISO in the real world? Whose real world are you talking about?
Yours?
Or the press photographer who gets a grainy picture of a paramedic pumping attending Princess Diana in a poorly lit tunnel at 2 or 3 in the morning? Even as a Train Driver, high ISO was an important aspect of 'my real world'.

These cameras are designed to 'get that pic' that pays the rent under almost any condition, and i'm fairly sure that they will both do that - just that on current specs, Canon have regained the flagship pro series mantel from Nikon.

I'm not sure where your coming from with the whole "real-world" bit. I never mentioned real-world performance in my question. I'm fully aware of the value of high ISO...my question is, is Nikon's ISO 104k actually usable in the real world, or is it simply a marketing gimmick...simply slapping on a higher number as a pure measure of competition, without actually improving anything? From a real-world standpoint, if Nikon's ISO 104k, or even 51200, isn't really much better than its predecessors, then its a moot selling point, and Nikon would have serviced both themselves AND their customers better by waiting to release something that really brought beneficial, useful high ISO for those very real-world projects.